Lead QA Engineer

We are looking for a Lead QA Engineer to join our Engineering capability as a technical authority responsible for architecting, evolving, implementing and governing our strategic automated testing solutions. You will lead the design of complex automation frameworks and define the overarching quality roadmap to ensure high‑confidence delivery across diverse client engagements. This role involves mentoring other QA engineers, negotiating quality benchmarks with senior stakeholders, and driving the development of internal automation IP to scale best practices across the entire engineering practice.

Responsibilities

• Owns the end‑to‑end testing strategy and lifecycle for major projects, devising new techniques while managing the primary technical relationship with the stakeholders.
• Maintains a hands‑on approach, taking primary responsibility for building foundational framework components and resolving technical blockers that require expert intervention.
• Implements automated test solutions setting the "Gold Standard" for clean, performant, and maintainable code.
• Provides expert direction on framework design and test planning, defining firm‑wide best practices and automation standards.
• Consults with stakeholders to determine which non‑functional quality characteristics add value, leading the overarching strategy to ensure performance, security and reliability are accounted for.
• Resolves systemic architectural blockers and process inefficiencies by translating complex, conflicting requirements into strategic solutions.
• Negotiates testing priorities, timelines and regression risks with senior technical and non‑technical stakeholders across organisations.
• Governs quality by peer‑reviewing QA engineers to ensure architectural integrity and business value in all test approaches.
• Drives practice‑wide improvement by researching and implementing emerging tools and automation frameworks.
• Mentors the QA Engineer cohort to cultivate the consultancy’s next generation of technical leaders.
• Provides the final expert recommendation on release readiness based on broad, data‑driven risk analysis.
• Continuously maintain and update skills and knowledge to stay current within your relevant field of expertise.

Dimensions

• Budget: N/A
• Headcount: Typically responsible for directly managing up to 3 people.
• Resource complexity: Leads functional and technical workstreams across multiple squads or high‑complexity projects.
• Problem‑solving responsibility: Independently solves complex problems and contributes to the development of solutions that consider technical, user and business needs.
• Change management requirements: Supports the planning, communication and delivery of change.
• Internal/External interactions: Works confidently with clients, stakeholders and internal teams.
• Strategic timeframe: Operates across mid‑to‑long‑term timeframes (6–12 months).

About You

Professional Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Proven expertise in architecting and implementing scalable automation frameworks from the ground up utilizing industry‑standard tools like Playwright, Selenium or Cypress.
• Advanced knowledge of the end‑to‑end testing ecosystem, including web, API and mobile tools.
• Strategic experience in designing the integration of automated testing into global CI/CD pipelines.
• Capacity to lead technical discovery and scoping for new projects.
• Advanced SQL and scripting skills (UNIX/Shell/PowerShell).
• Demonstrated expertise in combining advanced technical execution with strategic oversight.

Desirable

• Previous experience in a consultancy or central government environment.
• Proven ability to operate across diverse programming languages and technical stacks.
• Experience with Ruby and using Ruby‑based automation frameworks.
• Proven track record of shaping or leading internal Communities of Practice or Centres of Excellence.
• Prior experience in Non‑Functional Testing (NFT).
• Previous experience in managing or formally leading a multi‑person test team.

Technical Skills

• Expertise in defining and enforcing firm‑wide standards for clean, maintainable and reusable code.
• Ability to architect modular test frameworks.
• High‑level proficiency in conducting architectural code reviews.
• Expertise in creating reusable automation IP.
• Expertise in orchestrating and monitoring automation within a CI/CD context.
• Proficiency in API testing and the integration of automated security or performance checks.

Behaviours

• Analytical Thinking & Problem‑Solving: Applies high‑level critical thinking to evaluate systemic quality issues.
• Strategic Communication: Translates complex technical risks and quality metrics into clear, actionable business insights.
• Mentoring & Leadership: Cultivates a high‑performance testing culture.
• Adaptability & Risk Management: Proactively identifies and mitigates high‑impact, cross‑project risks.

Strengths, Drivers and Traits

• Strategic Growth Driver: Passionate about evolving the consultancy’s automation IP.
• Quality Governance Authority: Driven by the responsibility of defining organisational quality benchmarks.
• Influential Technical Advisor: Composed under pressure, with the ability to navigate ambiguity.

Benefits

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• 2 volunteer days for causes that you are passionate about
• Maternity/paternity - 6 months Maternity Leave, 3 months Paternity Leave
• Life assurance
• Employer pension contribution of 5%
• Health cash plan
• Personal learning and development budget
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Green incentive programmes including Electric Vehicle Leasing and the Cycle to Work Scheme
• Financial advice
• Health assessments

We actively encourage applications from all genders, ethnicities, disabled people, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. Don’t meet 100% of the criteria? We still want to hear from you. Please let us know if you require any adjustments during the recruitment process.